I must say this is strange. As an Uzbek citizen you don't need an exit visa (OVIR) to go to Kazakhstan or Russia. I guess they were trying to hustle you. @pave

I must say this is strange. As an Uzbek citizen you don't need an exit visa (OVIR) to go to Kazakhstan or Russia. I guess they were trying to hustle you. @pavel_lishin: The exit visa costs about $50 -- you pay a fee to the government and possibly a fee to fill out the application. These days it takes anywhere between 2 weeks to 2 months to get it. Depending on the country you want to visit or where you have been previously (based on your application), you might also have to go through a security interview with intelligence officers.